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A denim revolution? Levi's Project F.L.X.

by Luis Teschner — March 12, 2018

Usually, fast fashion and sustainability are two contrary movements. The former wants to produce more and more clothes more often, while the latter wants the fashion to be durable and reasonable with garments that will actually last longer than half a year. Levi’s newest innovation seems to cater to both demands.

Developed in the brand’s own Eureka Lab in San Francisco, project F.L.X. (Future Led Execution) introduces a new digital denim finishing method, where laser techniques with a unique precision reduce manual labor and chemicals needed for the production of the jeans. Furthermore, finishing time is cut dramatically–from two to three pairs per hour to 90 seconds per garment, followed by a final wash cycle. The more accurate, quicker and cleaner finishing process also makes Levi’s denim range more flexible, as the determination of the look and style of the final product can be delayed to a much later point of time in the production chain to allow quicker reactions to market changes.

Chip Berg, president and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., is very confident about the new procedure: “This is the future of jeans manufacturing, and LS&Co. is well-positioned to lead the way.” Bart Sights, vice president of technical innovation at Levi’s Eureka Lab, is even more certain about the impact the project will have, as he points out: “Where we lead, others usually follow.”

See below what Levi’s new denim finishing method actually looks like:

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"We treat the Lab as a rapid prototyping facility, where an idea can be turned into a pair of jeans."